Melinda L Luna

Barbara Loal (Smith) Lamb Luna, 93, of Little Rock, Arkansas, left this life peacefully on August 11, 2026, with her daughters by her side.

Barbara was the daughter of Dr. Walter Myers Smith and Allene Mathews Boyd. During her childhood, her family lived in Haiti, El Salvador, and Guatemala while her father served as a physician with the U.S. Public Health Service. The family eventually returned to Arkansas and settled in Little Rock, where Barbara graduated from Central High School.

She attended Little Rock University (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), where she met and married Bob Lamb. During their 25 years of marriage, they were blessed with two daughters. Barbara devoted those years to creating a loving, faith-filled home for her family. She was active in volunteer work and was a lifelong member of Park Hill Baptist Church.

Barbara’s faith began at an early age and remained a constant throughout her life. Her love for Jesus was evident to everyone who knew her. She spoke of Him often and with great joy, and she looked forward to the day she would see Him face to face.

Later in life, Barbara followed her mother and sister to Los Angeles, where she put her fast, accurate typing skills and extensive knowledge of medical terminology to work as a medical transcriptionist. After retiring, she returned to Arkansas and made her home in North Little Rock.

Barbara enjoyed a full and colorful retirement. She loved taking trips to play slot machines, spending time with her cats, attending church, and being involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren. An artistically creative woman, she enjoyed needlepoint and detailed adult coloring books, spending many happy hours at her art table. Yet perhaps the highlight of each day was her nightly “spa treatments” before bedtime.

Barbara loved all creatures, great and small, but she especially adored her cats. Her beloved feline companion, Bammer, was by her side for 17 years. Those who knew Barbara will remember a funny, quick-witted woman who was generous with whatever she had and always willing to share.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Beverly Sue Diaz; her brother, Dr. Mark M. Smith; her grandson, Cy Lamb; her great-grandson, River Willis Lamb; and her cousins, Donald and Dian Gephardt.

Barbara is survived by her daughters, Dianne (Danny) Baysinger and Melinda Lamb; her brother, Dr. Kirk (Barbara) Smith; her granddaughter, Lynda (Jackie) Hensley; her great-granddaughters, Cali (Jake) Kyle and Allison (Logan) Baker; her great-great-grandchildren, Whitley, Walker, and Abel; and her beloved Bammer.

In addition to her family, Barbara leaves behind dear friends who became family: Mike and Linda White, whom she called “the best neighbors in the world,” and Sharon Simmons, who remained in contact with her every day despite moving many miles away.

Those who remain will grieve Barbara’s absence and deeply miss her presence in their lives. But they will cherish her memory and find comfort in knowing that she is exactly where she longed to be—seeing Jesus face to face.

This is not a time for goodbye, but simply a season of “see ya later.” We live in the hope of that great reunion, when we will be together again, sharing with Barbara in a new life of peace, joy, and celebration.

The family will honor Barbara’s memory with a private burial at Rock Creek Cemetery in Harriet, Arkansas.